Quick hits of bracket wisdom

Alabama, it seems, never quite got rid of the stench of its 7-5 start, which included dreadful losses to Mercer and Tulane. From January on, though, the Crimson Tide certainly looked like a tournament team. Alabama won 21 games overall and finished 12-6 in the SEC. Yes, the Crimson Tide went 3-4 down the stretch, but three of those losses came to Florida and Mississippi, the two conference-tournament finalists. There's no shame in that, and the SEC deserved more than three teams in the NCAA field.

BIGGEST GIFT

What a wild selection day it must have been for Cal. First, when Oregon got a No. 12 seed, the Bears must have been sweating profusely. Then, when Cal's name came up, not only did the No. 12 Bears get a home game in their back yard (San Jose), but they also drew a No. 5 seed, in UNLV, that they already have played this season and lost to by only one point

TOUGHEST REGION

Pack a lunch in the Midwest region, where Oregon, which won the Pac-12 Conference Tournament, got a No. 12 seed (and how did that happen?). Louisville is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, and the Cardinals' road to Atlanta and the Final Four might include games against No. 4 Saint Louis or No. 5 Oklahoma State in the Sweet 16, then No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Michigan State or No. 6 Memphis in the Elite Eight. Ouch.

LOOK OUT, NO. 1

Is it possible that two No.1 seeds could be out in the first weekend? Midwest No. 1 Kansas gets to start in Kansas City, Mo., but the Jayhawks potentially have a second-round game against No. 8 North Carolina, which has thrived since a late-season change to a guard-heavy rotation. West No. 1 Gonzaga seems to be the second-favorite team of every fan in the country, but the Bulldogs didn't play a strong schedule, and tough No. 8 Pitt looms in the second round.

BEWARE OF ...

It might be easy to write off East No. 13 Montana, particularly since leading scorer Mathias Ward is out because of a foot injury, but don't hibernate on the Grizzlies, who are one of the NCAA's best 3-point-shooting teams and also don't miss many foul shots. Their first-round opponent, No. 4 Syracuse, isn't very scary, and potential second-round opponent UNLV would seem to be the weakest of the four No. 5 seeds.

HEADING WEST

The West Regional semifinals and final will be played at Staples Center on March 28 and 30. Here's what to watch.

Best players: Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga's 7-foot junior center, is a big (and big-time) player at a small school, a possible lottery pick in the NBA Draft who came up big in victories over Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State's 6-7 junior forward, is a Wooden Award finalist who is very consistent and averages 19.6 points per game. There's not a lot of buzz around Notre Dame, which got a No. 7 seed, but 6-9 junior forward Jack Cooley plays big minutes and is a regular double-double threat who is particularly good on the offensive boards.

Best early game: Arizona, despite its No. 6 seed and relatively short trip to Salt Lake City, is only a four-point favorite against No. 11 Belmont. It should be a fun game, given that the Bruins average 77 points per game and make almost 50 percent of their shots from the field.

Upset watch: Backetologists love 5-12 games, and a great one will take place Friday when No. 5 Wisconsin takes on No. 12 Mississippi. It's a contrast in styles. Wisconsin isn't a dynamic team, but the Badgers love to grind it out and keep their opponents in the 40s or 50s. Mississippi finished the season as the seventh-highest scoring team in the NCAA, with an average of 78.2 points per game. The Rebels have won five consecutive games (and the SEC Tournament) while the Badgers are 3-3 in their past six games.

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